Full-time, Fixed-term Contract (30 September 2026).

Health screening policy-makers decide which screening programmes to provide for their country (based on both clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness), including screening adults for cancer, screening pregnant women for a range of health conditions which may affect the baby, and screening newborn babies for rare diseases. In doing so they have to review and synthesise evidence from a disparate range of sources (including; Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs), population registries and electronic health records) as it is very rare that a single data source will provide sufficient evidence to fully evaluate a screening policy, especially when longer term outcomes are required (for example mortality due to a condition).

This Doctoral Research Fellow (DRF) in Biostatistics will review, evaluate, and where appropriate further develop/extend, methods (together with data requirements) for combining evidence to present to health screening policy-makers. The successful candidate will join a team working directly with policy-makers in the UK, Ireland and Canada, and will undertake a PhD which improves population health. They will join a larger project team working on the methods of synthesising research evidence to underpin national policy decisions about which screening programmes to adopt. The DRF will use simulation techniques and case studies to evaluate the impact of synthesising different combinations of research studies on the accuracy and appropriateness of information presented to policy-makers. This will include different types of research evidence with different potential biases and levels of generalisability to clinical practice (for example; RCTs or observational studies) linked together in different ways (for example to extrapolate shorter term outcomes, e.g. disease occurrence, to longer term outcomes, e.g. mortality).

The DRF will also investigate the impact of these decisions on underserved groups such as minority ethnic groups, and the impact across different countries (with different population characteristics and/or health systems). The project team have access to a variety of large data sets upon which to base the simulations. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to present their results to policy-makers and at national/international conferences/workshops.

If you are near submission or have recently submitted your PhD but have not yet had it conferred, any offers of employment will be made as Research Assistant at the top of level 5 of the University grade structure (£32,411). Upon receipt of evidence of the successful award of your PhD, you will be promoted to Research Fellow on the first point of level 6 of the University grade structure (£33,348).

To find out more or arrange an informal conversation about the role, please contact: Prof Sian Taylor-Phillips, email - S.Taylor-Phillips@warwick.ac.uk & Prof Keith Abrams, email – Keith.Abrams@warwick.ac.uk.

Interview Date: TBC.

Job Description

JOB PURPOSE

The main focus of your work as a Doctoral Research Fellow (DRF) will, as part of undertaking a PhD, be to review, evaluate (using simulation methods and case studies), and where appropriate further develop/extend, methods (together with data requirements) for combining evidence in order to determine the optimal methods for presenting such evidence to health screening policy-makers.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Research

1. To review, evaluate, and where appropriate further develop/extend, methods (together with data requirements) for combining evidence to present to health screening policy-makers as part of undertaking a PhD.

2. To liaise with a wide range of academic staff and both national and international policy-makers.

3. To use simulation techniques to evaluate the impact of synthesising different combinations of research studies on the accuracy and appropriateness of information presented to policy-makers.

4. Where appropriate, to attend and present research findings and papers at academic and professional conferences, and to contribute to the external visibility of the department.

5. To lead, or collaborate in, the production of high-quality outputs in peer reviewed journals arising out of research undertaken.

6. Manage own academic research and administrative activities. This involves small scale project management.

Administration and Other Activities

1. To attend departmental meetings and to participate (where necessary) in other committees and working groups within the department, the faculty and the University.

2. To participate in relevant professional activities.

3. To engage in continuous professional development.

The duties and responsibilities outlined are not intended to be an exhaustive list but to provide guidance on the main aspects of the job. The postholder will be required to be flexible in their duties.